Spring metal fastener for television aerials



May 15, 1956 c. w. COLLINS SPRING METAL FASTENER FOR TELEVISION AERIAL-SFiled Feb. 11, 1954 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Oflice 2,745,155 Patented May 15, 1956 2,745,155SPRING METAL FASTENER FOR TELEVISION AERIALS Coy W. Collins, Toledo,Ohio, assignor to Prestole Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation ofMichigan Application February 11, 1954, Serial No. 409,715 2 Claims.(Cl. 24-1) This invention relates to fasteners but more particu larlyfasteners stamped or otherwise formed from sheet metal, and an object isto produce a simple and efiicient fastener of this type adapted to bemounted on a television mast for releasably retaining the lateral armseither in position of use at right angles to the mast or in a positionsubstantially alongside or in the longitudinal plane of the mast forconvenience in storage or shipment.

Another object is to produce a one-piece spring metal clip or shimadapted to be mounted on a television mast and having oppositelydisposed pockets or channels to re ceive the lateral arm of thetelevision aerial either in position of use where the arm issubstantially at right angles to the mast or in a position alongside themast, the clip being so designed that the spring of the metal causes thearm to be yieldably retained in the selected position with suificientpressure to militate against the arm from being rocked accidentally awayfrom such position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear,and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodimentof the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure lis a side elevation of a portion of a television mast showing the armsin position of use by broken lines and in position for storage orshipment in the full lines where the arms are disposed alongside themast;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a portion of the maston which the spring clip is mounted and showing a portion of one of thearms in position alongside the mast and by broken lines in a'position atright angles to the mast that being the position of use;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figure 2 showing themanner in which the arms are mounted on the mast; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a television mastwhich may extend up into the air any desired distance and from whichextends a series of spaced arms 10. In Figure 1 the arms 10 are shown bybroken lines in position of use in which the arms are spacedequi-distantly from each other and extend substantially equally onopposite sides of the mast and in positions at right angles to the mast.Also as shown in Figure 1 the arms 11 may be swung alongside the mast 10thereby enabling the assembly to be shipped in a relatively compactpackage or stored when not in use such as in a warehouse.

In order to mount the arms 11 on the mast 10 a clip or shim C isprovided for each of the arms 11 and such clip is mounted on the mast. Ascrew 12 having a head 13 and a threaded end portion 14, is provided foreach of the arms 11 for securing it to the mast 10 such as to enable thearm to be rocked relatively to the mast. The shank of the screw 12passes through an opening formed centrally of the respective clip C.

As shown the clip C is of spring metal and is somewhat wider than thediameter of the mast. Each clip has a raised intermediate portion 15from opposite sides of which incline downwardly and outwardly legs 16and each of the legs terminates in a downwardly turned foot 17 having anotch 18 to fit over or straddle the mast as shown in Figure 4.

The raised intermediate portion 15 of the clip is formed to the flatplatform surface 19, and pressed out of this surface are grooves 20 and21 which intersect each other at substantially right angles. The groovesextend laterally of the clip from side to side and also longitudinallyof the clip the length of the raised portion 19. The sides of the raisedportion 19 depend vertically downward, forming walls 21 at substantiallyright angles to the platform 19 and integrally joining the upper ends ofthe leg 16 respectively.

From the above description it will be manifest that I have produced anexceedingly simple and inexpensive spring metal clip which can bereadily and conveniently applied in position of use to support theantenna arm either in position of use or in position along side the mastfor shipping purposes or other use in economizing space. The arms 11 asparticularly shown on Figure 3 are spaced outwardly from the mast 10 asuflicient distance so that interposed between the mast and arm are theclips C. The clips are so dimensioned as to urge the arms 11 against theheads 13 of the screws. This spring pressure must be sufficient to holdthe arms in the desired position against the forces of wind, birds, etc.but by rocking the arm they can be positioned substantially along sidethe mast 10 or at least in planes parallel to the mast. In the latterposition the assembly can be conveniently packaged in a minimum amountof space.

Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and choice ofmaterials may be effected without departing from the spirit of theinvention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A shim of the character described, comprising a one-piece bodyportion of spring sheet metal, arelatively flat intermediate portioncentrally apertured and formed with a pair of grooves intersecting eachother at ap proximately right angles and extending from side to side ofsuch intermediate portion, downwardly extending walls at opposite sidesof said intermediate portion, the depth of said walls being at least asgreat as the depth of said grooves, a pair of legs inclining downwardlyand outwardly from the lower ends of said walls, and notched endportions on the free ends of said legs respectively.

2. A shim of the character described, comprising a one-piece bodyportion of spring sheet metal, a relatively flat intermediate portioncentrally apertured and formed with a pair of grooves intersecting eachother at approximately right angles and extending from side to side ofsuch intermediate portion, downwardly extending walls at opposite sidesof said intermediate portion, the depth of said walls being at least asgreat as the depth of said grooves, a pair of legs inclining downwardlyand outwardly from the lower ends of said walls, and downwardly inclinedfeet on the lower extremities of said legs respectively, said feet beingnotched partially to embrace a post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS263,606 Smith Aug. 29, 1882 643,959 Greenspan Feb. 20, 1900 900,545Humiston Oct. 6, 1908 2,059,445 Eastman Nov. 3, 1936 2,216,886 LangelierOct. 8, 1940 2,308,695 Johnson Jan. 19, 1943 2,338,564 Aram Jan. 4, 19442,528,400 Trowbridge Oct. 31, 1950 2,531,351 Churchill Nov. 21, 19502,643,334 Aram June 23, 1953

